Ai, Japanese chimpanzee who counted and painted, dies at 49

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete January 12, 2026 at 09:54 AM

Ai, Japanese chimpanzee who counted and painted, dies at 49

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Ai, a 49-year-old chimpanzee renowned for her cognitive abilities, died on January 9th at Kyoto University's Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior in Japan. Born in western Africa, Ai arrived at the institute in 1977 and became the central figure of the Ai Project, a research program dedicated to understanding the chimpanzee mind. The project notably demonstrated Ai's ability to use numbers and identify colors through the use of a specialized computer keyboard. Beyond cognitive tests, Ai enjoyed drawing and painting. She also gave birth to a son, Ayumu, who is also known for his remarkable memory.

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Africa 30% Kyodo News 40% Dame Jane Goodall 40% Ayumu 40% Tetsuro Matsuzawa 50% Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior 60% Ai Project ×270% Kyoto University 70% Japan 80% Ai ×10100%

Keywords

chimpanzee 100% cognitive skills 80% ai project 70% animal cognition 60% primate 50% numerical naming 50% painting 40% memory 40%

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90%

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Japan

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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